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Very nice with the factory accessory Halibrand wheels! Is it me or is the front end higher than usual from regular R-1 & R-2 Avanti's?? What is that white knob next to the hood release for? Was it an power shift or 4 speed? Inquiring minds want to know!!

If it looks like the front is higher, odds are it probably is. That R3 box is much larger than the R2 bonnet, which could present a problem with hood clearance and whatever pad was underneath. Just ask about our Avanti II pad which is slightly thicker than the 1/4 incher or so what was put on there stock. It will rub the snot out of the expansion tank, chrome bonnet, and anything else that sticks up high in the engine compartment. Anyway, there was a quick and dirty solution to this problem, and I've seen this done on a couple other cars that used the box with too low a hood. They would stack extra shims under that one piece front clip, thereby raising the front clip, so the hood won't contact the box. It also required supplying bracketry to extend the bumper out and up to realign everything back into stock position, or else the grille underneath would be obscured with this bumper running in front of it[)].

The other pictures also show it to be a Powershift, and I would also would love to know about that knob(and that intake duct on the passenger side footwell).

Although it is somewhat "dirty" as you suggested, raising the body with shims is definitely not the quick way. The body needs to be disconnected, lifted and supported while new shims are put in, then the bumper brackets need to be welded to special extensions that you would have to fabricate as no one makes them to my knowledge. Every aftermarket R3 installation I have seen uses the quick fix mini motor mounts that are about an inch shorter. These are one of the "urban legends" surrounding factory R3 cars and are often referred to as "R3 motor mounts" when in fact, the factory R3 Avantis used the more complicated shim set up....which by the way, sacrifices a good part of the Avantis aggressive rake but also looks more like a drag car launching off the line. I have both and see each one for its advantages in the styling department.

The car was built in April of 1963 from a regular production car pulled from the line. Egbert took the car with him when he left South Bend. When built it was fitted with an R3 that Granatelli built for the car. Here is some info from the auction that the seller wrote about it: